Electric socket



- June 23, 1931. .1. CUTHBERT 1,811,615

ELECTRIC SOCKET Filed Kay 21, 1920 I 1214912 or, 7

Patented June 23, 1931 UNITEDSTATES PATENT OFFICE :roHN cnrirnnnr, or CHICAGO, rtnnvors, ASSIG-NOB ro Economy ruse Ann MANU- FAGTURING COMPANY, or CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A oonronarron on NEW YORK 1 nLno'rnIo SOCKET Application filed May 21,

More particularly it relates to plug receiving electric sockets of the key type.

' One of the objects of the invention is to provide an improved key socket. f

Another object is to provide an improved socket comprisingan outer shell and a key controlled contact cartridge.

Another object is to provide a key con trolled contact cartridge which is readily insertable into andjheldwithin an outer shell. Another object is to provide an improved key actuated mechanism for completing and 5 interrupting the circuit through an electric socket. I i I Another object is to provide -an electric socketwhich is reliable and eflicient in operation, of simple construction and inexpenzo sive to manufacture and install.

Other objects and advantages will appear from the specification and claims. An embodiment of the invention is illustrated in theaccompanying drawings, I In the drawings I'.- l I w 'Fig. 1 is a perspective of a complete key socket.

Fig. 2 is alongitudinal section thereof. a Fig. 3 is a perspective of the socket shell 39 and contact cartridge separated.

Fig. 4 is a separated perspective of the contact cartridge. i 3 Fig. 5 is a bottom perspective ofthe cartridge base. c

Fig. 6'is a perspective of the tact of the socket. Fig. 7 is a perspective of oneof the conductor terminals.

Fig. 8 is a perspective of the key a ctuated 75 center conto circuit controlling switch springs.

Fig. 9 is a section of the socket key.

The socket comprises, in general, an. outer shell 10, and a plug receiving key controlled contactcartridge 11. a

Outer shell 10 may be of any desired size and outline and may be composed of suitable material such asdrawn or spun brass. It is entirely open atone end to receive the cartridge. The other end ofthe outer shell 6 is providedwith an open exteriorly threaded 1920. Serial No. 383,085.

projection 12 through which conductors pass into the interior.

Cartridge 11 is, in general, a four element structure, the elements being united to form a unit which may be inserted and held within the outer shell. 7 I

Twoof the elements composing the cartridge are united to form a contact, terminal and key mechanism carrying base 15. The third element is an insulating sleeve, and the fourth. element is a plug engaging contact shell. i p

The base has a contact and terminal supporting disc 16 and a cover disc 17. Discs 1'6 and 17 may be composed of suitable insulating material such as porcelain. 7

Disc 16 is provided, in its rear face, With a ay i somewhat V shaped recess, 18 and upper disc 17 has a somewhat similar complementary recess in its forward face. Within recess18 lies the key actuated switch springs 19 and 20 by which the circuit through the socket is interrupted and completed. Springs 19 and 20 are made of suitable flexible spring material such as phosphor bronze.

7 Spring 19 has one end fixed to disc 16 upon a ledge near the top of one side of recess 18.

The head, of a holding rivet or screw 21,

which passes through disc. 16, holds spring 19 in place. The other end of the rivet or screw 21 is riveted over or threaded into an, arcuate shaped conductor terminal 22 which lies in a shallow recess in the forward face of disc 16. Terminal 22 is for connection to, one of the incoming conductors. Spring 19, after beingsecuredin place, is bent about the head of rivet or screw 21 as shown most clearly in Fig. 8. Y The spring is thus comparatively long and has no abrupt curves. The strength and durability of the spring is v thereby greatly increased. Spring 19, midway between its ends, is bent to provide a substantially-V shaped cam, which cooperates with the key as will be hereinafter described and is thereby forced into engagement with spring 20 to complete the circuit through the socket. 1.

Switch spring 20 is secured to the apex of recess 18 by a rivet or screw 24. The free end of spring 20is separatedfromtho bottom wall of recess 18, to give the spring some freedom of movement. Rivet 24 passes through disc 16 and also through a resilient contact 25 located upon a projection 26 of the disc. Contact 26 is bent back upon itself, as most clearly shown in Figs. 2 and 6, to add to its resiliency and forms the center contact of the socket. This center contact is adapted to resiliently engage the center contact of the plug with which the socket is to cooperate.

An arcuate conductor terminal 27 lying partly within a recess in the forward face of disc 16, forms the terminal for the other in coming conductor. Terminal 27 is held to disc 16 by a pair of rivets or screws 28 and 29. The heads of rivets or screws 28 and 29 he in countersunk holes in disc 17, and the rivets or screws pass through discs 16 and 17 and are riveted over or threaded into terminal 27.

Terminal 27 clamps an inner shell 30 and an insulating sleeve 31 to disc 16. Sleeve 31, which is cylindrical in shape and composed of suitable insulating material, such as fiber, has a pair of inwardly projecting ears 32 and 33. These ears may be formed by making shallow parallel cuts in the rear edge of the sleeve and bending inwardly the small portions of the sleeve between the cuts. Ears 32 and 33 lie against the front face of disc 16.

Inner shell 30 may be threaded or otherwise constructed to form the outer socket contact to be engaged by the outer contact of the plug with which the socket is to cooperate. Shell 30 has a pair of ears or fins 34 and 35 projecting inwardly from the rear edge thereof. These ears overlie ears 32 and 33 of sleeve 31 and are provided with holes 36 and 37 through which rivets or screws 28 and 29 pass. The inner plug receiving shell 30 fits within sleeve 31 and is thereby insin lated from outer shell 10. The rear edge of sleeve 31 overlies the lower edge of disc 16, as clearly shown in Fig. 2, to insure the proper insulation of the contacts, terminals, switch and inner shell from the outer shell.

The separation and engagement of switch springs 19 and 20 is controlled by a key 40 operable from the outside of the socket, Key 40 may be made of rubber or suitable insu lating compound. It has a cylindrical projection 41 to the end of which is secured a J threaded metal coupling 42. Apin or shaft 43 threads into coupling 42 to be held thereby. Shaft 43 has a flattened section 44 intermediate its ends. This flattened section fits within an opening in a cam button 45. Cam button 45 may be made of suitable insulating material and has two symmetrically arranged projections for engaging the cam surIace of spring 19 to force the spring into contact with spring 20. \Vhen the high or projecting portions of cam button 45 are moved to lie substantially parallel to the faces of disc 16, the resiliency of spring 19 effects the disengagement of springs 19 and 20. Key 40 is held in place by a small head 46 on the inner end of shaft 43, which lies in complimentary recesses in the adjacent faces of discs 16 and 17. Discs 16 and 17 are also eomplementarily recessed to accommodate and hold against lateral movement, the cylindrical projection 41 of the key.

Base disc 17 is provided with a pair of converging funnel shaped openings 50 and 51 extending therethrough for the passage of conductors inserted through outer shell projection 12. The adjacent converging walls of openings 50 and 51 are extended to form a wedge shaped projection 52 extending slightly above the rear face of disc 17. This projection assists in the proper insertion of the conductors.

Openings 50 and 51 register with openings through base disc 16 and openings in conductor terminals 22 and 27, respectively. Thus conductors inserted through projection 12 are readily forced through base 11 and the conductor terminals. The conductors may be readily connected from the open end of the socket, without necessitating the opening or separation thereof, by providing the terminals with coiling and clamping screws such as set forth in Patent 1,166,114; December 28, 1915.

The cartridge may be assembled by inserting spring 20 in recess 18 and contact 25 in the recess in projection 26 on the front face of disc 16. Rivet 24 is then applied and riveted over, holding spring 20 and center contact 25 securely in place. Next conductor terminal 22 is positioned in its recess in the front face of disc 16 and spring 19, bent as shown in the dotted lines of Fig. 6, is seated upon the ledge in recess 18. Rivet or screw 21 is then inserted from the rear through spring 19 and disc 16 and riveted over or threaded into terminal 22. Spring 19 is now bent over into recess 18 as shown in Figs. 4 and 8. The switch springs and one conductor terminal now are mounted. Key 40 and its associated parts are next positioned in disc 16, and disc 17 is placed thereon. Then sleeve 31 is placed upon disc 16 and inner shell 30 is inserted within sleeve 31, holes 36 and 37 being brought into register with the openings in discs 16 and 17 through which rivets or screws 28 and 29 pass. Conductor terminal 27 is now placed in shell 30, with its openings registering with the openings for rivets or screws 28 and 29. Finally rivets or screws 28 and 29 are inserted from the rear of disc 17, forced through the openings in both discs and inner shell 30 and riveted over or threaded into terminal 27. The rivets or screws thus secure together the two base discs 16 and 17, which hold the key between them, insulat- The cartridge thus formed may be inserted in the outer socket shell by first unscrewing and removing key 40 from shaft. 43. The cartridge is forced axially into the opening in the forward end of shell 10 where it is held in any desired manner.

A satisfactory method of inseparably retaining the cartridge within the shell is by the snap action set forth in my copending application, Serial No. 883,082; filed May 3, 1920.

After the cartridge is in place key 40 is inserted and threaded upon shaft 43.

Turning button 40 so that the projections or high portions of cam button 45 engage the cam of spring 19, spring 19 is forced into wiping and spring tensioned contact with spring 20. In this condition the circuit through the socket is completed, since electrical connection is made between conductor terminal 22, switch springs 19 and 20, rivet 24 and center contact 25, thence through the lamp or other device connected to the socket and back through inner shell 30 to conductor terminal 27 Turning key 40 so that the low portion of cam button 45 is parallel to the base releases spring 19, which thereupon separates from spring 20, interrupting the circuit through the socket.

The V shaped construction of spring 19 and the narrow wedge-like form of theprojection or raised portions of button 45 provide a distinct and reliable snap action for the key. The making and breaking of the circuit through the socket is thus reliably made and distinctly felt by the operator.

Having described my invention what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1. A base for a socket cartridge comprising a disc carrying conductor terminals on one face thereofand having a-recess-i'n the opposite face thereof, a pair of switch springs secured to the disc and positioned in the recess thereof, a key for causing the switch springs to make and break contact 2 with a snap action, and a second disc for closing the recess and cooperating with the first disc to hold the key in place.

2. A base for a socket cartridge comprising an insulating disc carrying conductor terminals on one face thereof and having a recess'in the opposite face thereof, a comparatively fixed resilient switch spring positioned in said recess, a center contact to hold said spring in place, a comparatively movable resilient switch spring positioned in the recess and secured to the. disc, a key for engaging the movable spring to move the same into wiping contact with the fixed spring and to allow the same to separate from the first spring by its own resiliency, and a second insulating disc havingconductor openings therethrough and acting to cover the spring and hold the key in place.

In testimony .whereof I hereunto subscribed my name.

JOHN GUTHBERT. 

